West Virginia Code of State Rules
Agency 78 - Human Services
Title 78 - LEGISLATIVE RULE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES BUREAU FOR SOCIAL SERVICES
Series 78-03 - Minimum Licensing Requirements for Residential Child Care and Treatment Facilities for Children and Transitioning Adults and Vulnerable and Transitioning Youth Group Homes and Programs in West Virginia
Section 78-3-17 - Group Residential Child Care and Treatment
Universal Citation: 78 WV Code of State Rules 78-3-17
Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 38, September 20, 2024
17.1. Employee Ratios and Training.
17.1.1. Employees, for
the purposes of this section, are those individuals who are:
17.1.1.a. Fully oriented and trained
according to organizational policy; and
17.1.1.b. Have job responsibilities that
pertain only to the provision of child care, treatment and
supervision.
17.1.2. The
group residential program shall have a policy regarding care and supervision of
children that ensures that:
17.1.2.a. Children
receive adequate supervision for their age, developmental functioning, and
emotional and behavioral needs; and
17.1.2.b. The care plan as developed by the
interdisciplinary team is implemented for each child.
17.1.3. Children shall be cared for and
supervised at the following levels, with clinically justified modifications
when house parents are employed:
17.1.3.a.
Minimum employee-to-child ratios as described within specific program rules
shall be maintained at all times; and
17.1.3.b. Additional or back-up care
employees shall be available for emergency situations or to meet special needs
presented by the persons in care.
17.1.4. The organization shall have a
procedure regarding the supervision of children in off-grounds activities that
shall ensure that the children are adequately supervised at all
times.
17.1.5. As appropriate to
the ages and needs of persons in care, the organization shall ensure that one
or more trained professional employees are on duty or available via an on-call
system on a 24-hour basis to provide continuous supervision to each residential
living unit within a residential program.
17.1.6. The organization that uses a house
parent model shall have a policy that ensures the safety and supervision of
children at night.
17.2. Environmental Issues.
17.2.1. To the maximum
extent possible, the organization providing group residential services shall be
non-institutional in appearance and practices. Each child or transitioning
adult shall be permitted to have personal space, personal possessions, and a
place to store those possessions unless clinically contraindicated. Each child
is expected to assume some responsibility for an aspect of care of living
environment (cleaning, cooking, etc.) on an ongoing basis.
17.2.2. The organization shall ensure that
residential living units within the milieu consist of no more than 12 children.
The size of the groups shall be dictated by their function and some may be
smaller than 12 members. Group therapeutic and residential living activities
should be conducted in an appropriately sized group format, taking into
consideration best practice standards for the gender, developmental status, and
diagnosis of the members.
17.2.3.
Children shall have clearly identifiable schedules and activities. Each child
shall have a schedule that identifies therapy times, chore or work assignments,
school hours, and other activities.
17.2.4. Employees shall be available in
sufficient quantity and with appropriate credentials to address the needs of
the child as identified by the assessment and interdisciplinary team
process.
17.2.5. The residential
program that permits pets shall have a veterinary evaluation and vaccinations
as recommended by the veterinarian in writing.
17.2.6. Service elements unique to the
population:
17.2.6.a. If the residential
program permits children to operate vehicles while in placement, it shall do so
under the following conditions:
17.2.6.a.1.
The child has a valid West Virginia driver's permit or license;
17.2.6.a.2. The child's vehicle, if any, is
appropriately licensed and insured; and
17.2.6.a.3. The child receives permission in
writing from his or her parent or guardian.
17.2.6.b. The organization shall have a
written plan of basic daily routines that shall be available to all employees
and updated regularly.
17.2.6.b.1. Children
shall participate in planning daily routines.
17.2.6.b.2. Children shall have set routines
for waking and going to bed.
17.2.6.c. The organization shall encourage
and arrange for children to participate in community and school functions and
recreational activities on an individual basis.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. West Virginia may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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